In the corner a white-gloved courtier holding a tray of pyramid-stacked spherical chocolates waits for his cue; a nod from the ambassador himself signalling for the evening‘s real pièce de résistance to be unleashed upon his distinguished guests.

“Délicieux,” coos one party goer, “Excellente,” says another - the final coup de gras coming with the line of dialogue that still raises a nostalgic titter some 20 years on from it first being uttered: “Monsieur, with this Rocher you are really spoiling us.”

And, while it’s still impossible to think of ambassadors or embassies without thinking of that now notorious 1995 TV ad for a certain brand of Italian confectionary, the work of an honorary consul is a long way removed from that image of soft-focus soirées in opulent surroundings.

My predecessor once had to lift up a dead body in its casket to check underneath

“What I didn’t realise when I became the Honorary Consul for France was that one of my duties was to seal the coffins of the recently deceased before they’re sent back to France,” says Marie Brousseau-Navarro, a busy Cardiff-based public lawyer who was appointed to the post in February last year.

“It’s a very strange part of the job which empowers me to go through the dead person’s clothing for anything that shouldn’t be there and to check their likeness against the paper work we have for them - it’s something my predecessor in the role did her level best to try to warn me about it.

“She told me how she’d once had to lift up a dead body in its casket to check underneath - it’s essentially to make sure that no attempt has been made to smuggle anything on to the continent.

A French woman in Cardiff - Marie Brousseau-Navarro

“I really REALLY hoped that I wouldn’t ever have to do anything like that, but within three months I found myself called upon to seal an urn of someone’s ashes.

“I have a ribbon that goes around it once it’s closed, then I pour hot wax over the material and press down on it with a bureaucratic stamp.

“It’s a very old fashioned method - in fact, the stamp in question is probably more than 100 years old.

“It came as a complete surprise to me and it’s something I hope I never have to do again.”

And the full remit of the honorary consul’s functions isn’t just lost on Marie.

Indeed, the specifics of the role is are most likely unknown on everyone who hasn’t required its services at some point in their lives.

In short then, they are volunteers - usually dignitaries or from influential business backgrounds - who, more often than not, are appointed by their country of citizenship to represent the interests and welfare of its citizens whilst on foreign soil.

At first there was a massive culture clash for me

So, in Marie’s case, that means providing consular help to any French men or women living outside of the Greater London area who don’t necessarily have access to their nation’s official embassy.

And, while that can cover a wide range of problems (from sorting out errant tourists' passports to administering advice in the event of death, assault or arrest) the post's non-paying, unprestigious status means those who sign up for it generally share but one common bond - the satisfaction of helping others.

“I enjoy sorting out others’ difficulties - I’m a natural problem solved at heart, I guess,” says Marie, who can also add in-demand mum-of two to her tally of daily tasks she has to juggle.

Home away from home - Amiens and Marie's adopted Cardiff

From the city of Amiens, the capital of the Somme and about half the size of Cardiff, she’s been living in Wales for the last 18 years.

“I suppose at first there was a massive culture clash for me,” she says.

“St Mary Street on a Friday night - the drinking and the dress sense, that was a big shock.

“I couldn’t understand why all the men seemed to wear flip-flops all the year round!

Two Indian graduates in Cardiff wanted to get married and asked for my blessing

“My husband, who’s also French loves it though, so perhaps it’s just a question of personal taste.

Funnily enough, however, it was the Valleys’ accent - often considered the most impenetrable to outside ears - that proved the easiest for her to understand.

“It’s sing-song in the same way that the French pronounce their words,” she adds, her own dense Gallic brogue still very evident.

“Wales is very much my home for me now though - I remember flying back from Ireland on a business trip a while back and being excited to land in Cardiff.”

It’s a sentiment shared by Raj Aggarwal, the Honorary Consul for India who first came to the Welsh capital in 1969 to study at the then School of Pharmacy.

Raj flies the flag

Appointed to the post by the President of India in 2012 he’s can also add Deputy Lord Lieutenant of South Glamorgan, working for the Indian High Commission and an OBE for, amongst other things, his services to charity to an already very extensive CV.

“I fell in love with the place - the heritage, the coastline, the people - and never went back,” says the Kenyan, adding that his two favourite Welsh words are Tom and Jones.

And, like Marie, he can also boast an unusual claim to his time as consul.

“There were once two Indian graduates in Cardiff who wanted to get married and asked for my blessing,” he smiles.

“I think their families were unable to come over to be present so I was the next best thing.

“It was a strange thing to be asked but I could see they were deeply in love, so I was happy to give them my blessing.

“That was about three years ago now and these days they’re so happily settled back in India.

“It’s a wonderful thing, they’ve become true ambassadors for wales themselves in their own special way.”

Raj celebrates India Independance Day in Cardiff

Raj is the current president of the Consular Association of Wales, whose members are meeting at the offices of Media Wales today as part of WalesOnline's World Nations Day.

He says: "Wales is blessed with the talent and commitment of Honorary Consuls from 30 countries. Each of the Honorary Consuls have strong personalities and in depth expertise formed from distinguished careers in a wide range of professions.

"They have been selected and appointed by the authority of the country they represent, the Foreign & Commonwealth office and the Welsh Government. Individual Consuls have to pass through extensive scrutiny and their work is undertaken under the terms of Vienna Convention. Each one devotes considerable time and effort to promote commercial and cultural relations between Wales and the countries they represent.

"The Consular Association of Wales (CAW) and the Honorary Consuls play a significant role in sustaining Welsh link with the rest of the world, and as, President of CAW, I have always stated that my job is to bring the world to Wales and take Wales to the world."